Fall Recipe - Roasted Cornish Hens

By: Scott

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Cool autumn days are a perfect time for the aroma of comfort foods cooking in the kitchen. This recipe is nice in early fall while fresh late season fruits are still available. The aldehydes from the fruit, cooked with a complex dark ale are a nice combination to satisfy the early fall craving for comfort food, plus the Cornish hens cook up very moist and tender.

BringMeOutdoors.com Roasted Cornish Hens

2 Cornish hens
5 tbsp whole grain Dijon mustard
1 large peach, peel on
1 large apple, peeled, cored, sliced
4 ripe black plums, halved, pitted, peel on
6oz apple juice concentrate
12oz dark ale (I used Mill Street Brewery Tankhouse Ale)
4 tbsp grape seed oil

Preheat oven to 350F.
Soak 2 Cornish hens in cold brine solution for 30 minutes, pat dry with paper towels, place on metal baking sheet or other cleanable non-porous surface. Drizzle 1 tbsp of grape seed oil on each hen and spread over entire bird. Spoon whole grain mustard on to hens, spreading evenly on all surfaces.
Pour 2 tbsp grape seed oil into roasting pan or Dutch Oven, spread evenly with paper towel. Slice peach in half around pit, pull halves apart, remove pit. Slice peach 0.5" thick, arrange slices to cover bottom of pan. Carefully place hens on top of peach slices.
Pour apple concentrate into free area of the pan, then pour beer so that the level of liquid in the bottom just covers the peaches (then drink the rest of the beer if there's any left :-) ) Place apple slices and plum halves on top of hens, remaining fruit goes into free area of pan or in liquid.

Cover roasting pan or Dutch Oven, and place in oven. Check after 30 minutes - liquid should be bubbling. If not, put oven up to 375F. Cook for 15 min. and check pan. Remove lid, cook for 15 min. to brown birds. Using a meat thermometer, check to make sure the temperature in the deepest part of the breast, and right next to the leg bone is 180F. Juices should also run clear.

Serve on platter with fruit arranged around the hens and serve.

This dish works well with roasted or steamed vegetables, fresh bread, and pairs well with a chilled bottle of Pinot Grigio wine.